SPEAKING ANXIETY IN ENGLISH PRESENTATIONS: INVESTIGATING CAUSES AND IMPACT ON EFL LEARNERS PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The current study examines the causes and effects of speaking anxiety among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in English presentations. The research participants consisted of twelve in sixth-semester students majoring in English Department at UMSU in the 2024/2025 academic year. A qualitative approach based on Sugiyono (2017) was applied, with data collected through observation and interviews. The findings showed that most participants experienced speaking anxiety, characterized by nervousness, trembling, freezing, stuttering, and sweating. This anxiety reduced their interest in learning, limited their vocabulary, lack of preparations and lowered their confidence due to fear of making mistakes and afraid of being judged by peers. The causes of anxiety were divided into internal and external factors. Internal factors included lack of confidence, inadequate preparation, and language problems such as grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. External factors involved lecturers, peers, the classroom environment, requests to speak in front of the class, unclear feedback, and limited facilities. It is concluded that speaking anxiety has a negative impact on students' performance in English presentations, highlighting the need to address both internal and external factors.